Kim Jong Un to Meet With Vladimir Putin to Discuss Arms Deal

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this month to discuss selling arms and ammunition to Russia, U.S. officials said.

The Details: On Monday, multiple outlets cited unnamed U.S. officials who said Kim would meet Putin this month in Vladivostok, a city on Russia’s Pacific Coast. A National Security Council spokesperson confirmed that the U.S. had information suggesting arms talks between the two U.S. adversaries were “actively advancing,” and that Kim “expected” to meet with Putin in Russia. Furthermore, a South Korean lawmaker said the country’s top spy agency had intelligence suggesting Russia had invited North Korea to participate in three-way naval exercises with China. 

For Context: The meeting would be Kim’s first since North Korea closed its borders, according to AP (Lean Left bias). Like North Korea, Russia has also faced isolation since it invaded Ukraine. A year and a half into its war, Russia is seeking to replenish its ammunition supplies; in July, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Pyongyang to discuss buying munitions.

How the Media Covered It: Coverage was common across the news media and displayed few signs of partisan bias. Large mainstream outlets, most of which AllSides rates as Lean Left, were more likely to publish analyses of the meeting’s implications.